Resident Alleges "Bullying" By New Rochelle School's Website

During New Rochelle City School Board's March 25 meeting March 25, resident Vincent Malfetano objected to the $1.2 million the district paid to bus 544 children to private schools outside the city limits, which it is not required to do by law. Presently, any student who lives more than one and a half miles from their private school outside of New Rochelle is taken by bus to the private or parochial school.

The resident's objections might have gone unnoticed, but the teachers' union in the March 24 issue of the union newsletter quoted Malfetano as having said at a prior meeting that the board was catering to "well-off members of the community who live in the north end of the city." The union characterized Malfetano's remarks as going so far as to say it was "thinly veiled ant-Semitic rants."

So when the public had its opportunity to speak at the March 25 Board of Education meeting, Malfetano said questions he had raised had not been answered. He brought up the Board of Education's regulations about the use of Internet.

Malfetano said school is a place of tolerance and good manners...use of the network anywhere in the school district computer facilities is not for hate mail, defamatory statements or statements intended to injure or humiliate others by disclosure of personal information (whether true or false); personal attacks to others and statements expressing animus toward any person or group by reason of race, color, religion, use vulgar, derogatory or obscene language is prohibited.

Further on, the regulations state that if a person violates the policy, a range of punishments "up to and including termination of services and criminal prosecution" are possible.

Malfetano pointed out an investigation was warranted because he said the author using the district Internet had violated school district policy, by accusing him. He added that there are New York State regulations that apply, which state that if anyone has information relating to the moral character of an employee which brings into question their fitness as a licensed professional, that information should be brought to the attention of the school district and then to the State of New York if the school district does not act.

Immediately after, Malfetano asked this abuse of the Internet be investigated. However, Interim Acting Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Korostoff said he had no intention of investigating this complaint.

But, Malfetano said: "It is hard to understand how for years we have had to lay off and lose 200 employees, many of whom are low-salaried employees, and have programs reduced during a time characterized by the school business manager Mr. Quinn, as the toughest economic times since the depression, while spending $1.2 million for something not required by law for children who do not attend public school in New Rochelle."

Malfetano said he will pursue all legal remedies to restore his good name and to put an end to this type of "bullying" of community members.​